Knee Injuries
There are several ways to assess knee injuries. Here, we provide 2 scoring systems that are commonly used in the dairy industry. You can choose a system that fits your interests and test your repeatability using the associated scoring system.
Dairy Well: knee injury scoring
Score and count only the WORST knee of every cow.
Which animals to assess:
- Lactating cows
- Dry cows
- The number of dry and lactating cows assessed is determined by the sample size calculator
- All cows in hospital pen
When to assess:
- While in the parlor (best)
- While in lock-ups
How to assess:
- Assess knees from behind (e.g. standing in a parallel parlor) by looking for evidence of severe swellings
- Ideally, assess with full visibility (both sides + front of knees)
Goal:
To assess the softness of the resting area.
≤1% of cattle with severe knee swellings (score 3; greater than the size of a golf ball, and can be seen from the rear).
The % of cows with moderate knee injuries (score 2) should be recorded, though there currently is no benchmark for this group.
≤1% of cattle with severe knee swellings (score 3; greater than the size of a golf ball, and can be seen from the rear).
The % of cows with moderate knee injuries (score 2) should be recorded, though there currently is no benchmark for this group.
Score 1 - Normal
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Score 2 - Moderate
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Score 3 - Severe
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National Dairy Farm Program: knee injury scoring
Score and count only the WORST knee of every cow.
Which animals to assess:
- Lactating cows
- Dry cows
The number of animals assessed is determined by the sample size calculator using the total number of animals on the farm.
When to assess:
- Score the worst knee while scoring hocks
- Score at any time
Goal:
<5% of cows should score a 3 when hock and knee scores are combined (the most severe score becomes the overall score).
The tests on this website score knees and hocks separately for more practice.
The tests on this website score knees and hocks separately for more practice.
Score 1
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